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In this article by Jen Cort in AMLE, Cort points out that norms are made whether we are intentional about them or not. Cort therefore advocates for being intentional about them. Cort provides a clear example of how a teacher wanted to discourage students being in bed in class. But instead of saying "No being in bed," the teacher went back and co-created norms with the students. As a result, students did stay in bed sometimes, but they set themselves up in bed clearly ready for work.

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Norms are the patterns of behavior defining how we treat each other, ourselves, and our shared spaces. Norms exist in all physical and virtual classrooms. We often create norms at transition points such as the start of the year, term, or quarter. Typically, norms are listed on the walls, are not revisited often, and may be communicated to parents.

Norms exist in all settings. The question is, are they created intentionally or unintentionally? For example, when in school, intentional norms about seating are to assign seats and unintentional norms are when there is no seating assignment, but students sit in the same places each day. Intentional norms are essential and are attached to values. Intentional norms provide routines, agreements, consistency, and a framework for addressing difficult situations.

When reviewed consistently and created with equal contributions of students and teachers, intentional norms provide the guardrails for the classroom. Imagine the norms are the frame around a beautiful picture, with the picture being a reflection of students and teachers working together.

With COVID-19 bringing an entirely new teaching environment, many teachers find themselves reactively creating norms when situations arise. A teacher started her remote class and was frustrated because some of her students were in bed. Telling the students they must all be out of bed at the start of class elicited immediate negative responses. In this case, the teacher created a norm (must be out of bed) without attaching a value (presenting as "ready to learn") or inviting students into the discussion.

Realizing values and student voice were missing, the teacher reframed the experience asking herself:

1. What are the classroom values I want the norm to support?

2. How will I communicate the values to the students?

3. How will the student's voice be invited into, and heard, in the discussion?

4. In what areas am I willing or unwilling to be flexible?

5. How will I ask students what might be missing?

The teacher started class the next day with "I realize I forgot to have a norms discussion. The value I want our norms to support is showing up ready to learn, and I want us to work together to identify how this looks, feels, and sounds. While flexibility is important, some boundaries are necessary, including limiting outside distractions and listening for learning, rather than debate. Let's work together to create our norms, given how quickly things are changing; we will revisit our norms during our last class on Friday and will adjust as needed."

The teacher asked students to be ready to co-construct norms the next day and invited them to share concerns privately if they had critical contributing factors they didn't feel comfortable sharing with the entire class. COVID-19 and remote learning disproportionately impact students with mental health concerns, physical disabilities, learning differences, lower socioeconomic status, and students who are members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, question/queer) community, and more. These experiences may be challenging to share with the entire class while being mindful of your school's requirements, so it is essential to create communication streams to allow students to share.

Learning online-and therefore viewing other's homes-can cause students, parents, and teachers to feel exposed. Addressed thoughtfully, the use of norms can help reduce instances of invasion of privacy. When the teacher invited students to share outside of class one student offered that he was in bed during class because it was the only spot in his room where his classmates could not see that he shared a small room with two siblings, while another shared that her anxiety was elevated with COVID-19, and being in her bed made her feel safer.

When the class met to work on norms, the teacher reminded them of the importance of equity. Without providing any identifying information, she incorporated questions such as, "how might we ensure we are not causing someone to disclose a private part of their lives while also being in class together?" The students and teacher collaborated and decided that to be in bed was allowed as were virtual backgrounds, however, students needed to be sitting up, dressed, and presenting as ready to learn.

Our "classrooms" are different now, calling into question how we create norms when nothing is normal. We might consider that while our settings are different, our need to treat each other with fundamental decency is unchanged. Therefore, we create intentional norms by:

1. Outlining the goals and benefits of norms.

2. Connecting all norms to values, noting those classroom practices not connected to values are probably habits rather than norms and may be unnecessary.

3. Including the student voice, giving think-time, outlining the expectations of the discussion, and allowing personal concerns to be raised outside of the group discussion.

4. Communicating your boundaries, remembering most of us are frustrated when we believe we are working as a group and the facilitator (in this case, the teacher) has not communicated intended outcomes or "no go" areas before the discussion.

5. Ensuring you include norms for how the group will respond when the norms are challenged.

6. Reviewing and revising regularly.

7. Communicating the norms with students and parents or guardians.

If you are wondering where to start, you might pick one of your classroom values, use the steps above to plan, develop words to use with students, consider the "what if's" including how you will respond to challenges, and permit yourself to revise as needed. Intentional norms are even more critical as we are all faced with so many new situations, and we are comforted by as much consistency as possible.
More ideas on creating norms

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Creating Norms When Nothing is Normal - AMLE

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Norms are the patterns of behavior defining how we treat each other, ourselves, and our shared spaces. Norms exist in all physical and virtual classrooms. We often create norms at transition points such as the start of the year, term, or quarter.

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1- In the novel a physical burden refers more to the physical things the soldiers carry, like equipment and guns. Emotional burdens on the other hand refer more to what the soldiers experiences have been like traumas or terrors. Which is similar to the spiritual burdens which relate to memories and fears but also the traumas and terrors that the soldiers go through within themselves. “They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love…” (O’Brien, 1990, p.20).

2- O’Brien’s perception of being a human is going through life and being able to go through pain and happiness and still keep moving forward with your experiences or burdens. Being able to create memories and putting yourself out there to create your own character.

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1) How is physical burden related to emotional and spiritual burden in the novel? in life?

Physical burden and emotional burden are immensely related. The soldiers carry both  physical and emotional burdens . Of course, physical is represented through the wounds and battle injuries but, emotional are more interesting. Emotional or spiritual burden only complies with mental capacity, either old memories or new scary ones. Mental burden is way heavier than physical, physical will pass but mental is forever.

2) What does it mean to be a human if thinking through Tim O'Brean's lens of perception based on the first chapter? What does it mean to be a human in your personal opinion?

As humans, we are very different from all other animals. Of course, we rely on the same building blocks as any other. All animals are social, but humans are so social that we have built specific civilizations for a distinct culture. Looking through Tim O'Brean's lens, I would say that being human means taking your experience wherever you go. Knowing that you will never be able to clear your past self, needing to take into account all your previous experiences before taking action.

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1) How is the physical burden related to the emotional and spiritual burden in the novel? in life?

The physical burden is anything that is connected to the exterior part of life. In the novel, it’s represented in a literal context as what the soldiers carried in their backpacks. It draws a symbolism and parallelism between a person’s inner spiritual battles with what is just superficial. From my perspective, everything physical is connected to some inner morality, weakness, or strength an individual has. In the case of “The Things, They Carried” according to O’Brien any physical burden they had was there for a reason. It created a balance between physical and emotional at the same time being drawn together. For example when it says “They were tough. They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing --these were intangibles, but intangibles had their mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight. They carried shameful memories. They carried the common secret of cowardice. (..) They carried reputations. (O’Brien, 1990, p. 20). That's what it conveys. How they had to be taught and stay perseverant, even though they were terrified, they did it for their loved ones.

2) What does it mean to be a human if thinking through Tim O'Brien's lens of perception based on the first chapter? What does it mean to be a human in your personal opinion?

Through O’Brien’s perception being human is about going forwards even if it kills you. To be grateful for being alive even though one’s person has their demons to fight with. Through his point of view, he expresses how the soldiers carried their lives, how they had to be taught to survive but at the same time suffered everything a normal human being would in a war.

“The Things they carried were largely determined by necessity” (O’Brien, 1990, p.2) and “They all carried ghosts” (O’Brien, 1990, p.9) They saw death in their hands and grief first hand. His perception of being human is about holding on as a person, and not giving up. From my point of view, human existence is about a journey and looking forward. Life itself is about following a journey and confronting obstacles.

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1) The first place one can find something related to emotional and physical burden is in the title. “The things they carried” is related to this theme because they carry objects that are heavy, however they also carry objects that have emotional significance. For example, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries compass and maps with him, which shows how he is responsible for the men he leads. Jimmy also carried two photographs of Martha, and this made him remember about the women he loved, and what could life been if he didn’t go to Vietnam.
2) I believe that Tim O’Brean thinks that being human that a human is the physical and emotional burdens. What makes each human unique and different is there emotional and physical burdens. What each member carried represents there past or their personality. I agree with Tim O’Brean perspective, but he is missing the desires and hopes that human have. How each human different objectives in life, and how each has three different desires

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1- In the novel a physical burden stands for what the soldiers carried; weapons and equipment. While an emotional burden referenced to more of the pain and grief the soldiers went through. Spiritual burdens stand more so as how the soldiers carry themselves after their traumas "they carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love..." (O'Brien,1990,p.20). All these burdens relate with each other because one can always affect the other just like in real life.

2- Being humans in O'Brien's eyes is having burdens that make you the person you are and being able to keep yourself moving no matter the burden. It is all part of being human going through traumas, fears, terrors and happy memories that make your own character.

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1)     How is physical burden related to emotional and spiritual burden in the novel? in life?

The biggest physical burden is the physical weight one must endure. The items they carried are part of this burden. In the novel there are many relations between the platoons. This relation best shows the emotional connection to people and how it hurts them to lose this physical connections with them. A perfect example is Jimmy Cross when Ted Lavender was killed. He blamed himself and he realized this physical bond Jimmy Cross had with his platoon was greater than he would imagine. I say this because after the war, when Jimmy Cross visits O’Brien he still feels as if is his fault Ted Lavender died. The spiritual burden relates to the physical burden in the sense that when you lose someone, and you really felt something for them you drive yourself to be more spiritual.

2) What does it mean to be a human if thinking through Tim O’Brian’s lens of perception based on the first chapter? What does it mean to be a human in your personal opinion?

Being a human in O’Brian’s perception is having the courage of moving forward. It is being able to carry yourself up and leave human tethers behind to continue with life. Being human in my opinion is having emotion. It is feeling sorrow and joyfulness to enjoy your time with the people you love while you still have them.

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2) Tim O’Brien believe that what makes a human is what they carry. He Believes that who you are is composed of the physical and emotional burdens you carry, they tell a story of your past and what you have been through. I believe that Tim’s description is accurate but personally I would add that who you are is also composed of your hopes and dreams, the people you affect and those who affect you.

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1) How is physical burden related to emotional and spiritual burden in the novel? in life?

A burden is a weight you must carry, be it physical or emotional most people want to get rid of their burdens. A physical burden is related to a emotional burden because the more you carry the physical burden the more emotional it becomes. This is because the burden becomes a part of your life, and of your mind; even when you stop carrying the burden physically it will take you a long time to put it down emotionally.

2) What does it mean to be a human if thinking through Tim O'Brien's lens of perception based on the first chapter? What does it mean to be a human in your personal opinion?

Tim O’Brien sees humans as the things they carry. He believes that humans are their burdens, their emotional and physical burdens. In my opinion humans are tools, tools for each other; to be used to either make or destroy; the same way a tool can break if overused or rust if underused so can a human. The difference with tools and humans is that you feel empathy for humans.

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1- Physical and mental burden are both slightly different from each other, as the physical burden is more the things they carried, physically and literally, while the emotional carries are the thing they wished for and all the things they are going through mentally. Both this things are related because this all make the human suffer, and are obsticles to make someone stronger physically and mentally

2- Obviously Tim shows us human needs in the chapter. As humans in difficult situations, in this case jimmy going to war, expresses how they carry all physical and mental burden. Jimmys need to get back with his loved one and many more

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In the novel, the characters each carry their own heavy but physical loads. The things these men carry depend on their priorities and their constitutions. However, they each have a correlation which represent their emotional burden but there are also universal objects such as a two-pound poncho that also serves as a raincoat or tent.  “First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha… They were not love letters, but Lieutenant Cross was hoping, so he kept them folded in plastic at the bottom of his rucksack.” (O’brien, 1990, p.1)

2. For Tim O’Brian, to be human means to experience life with emotions and feelings, connection to other humans, having to go through pain and love… For me, to be human means those things as well, but in comparison to O’Brian he expresses how humans feel through physical objects these men carry. “They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love.” (O’Brian, 1990, p.20)

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1) In the novel when physical burden is mentioned it is referred to as all the heavy physical loads -such as weapons and equipment- the soldiers had to carry,  emotional burden in the novel is associated with the emotional loads the soldiers carried, some of them were grief, terror, longing and love. Each soldier’s physical burden accentuate their emotional burden. I the ove Henry Dobbins carries his girlfriends pantyhose, I believe that they represent his longing to be reunited with her again, to feel her confort and love once again. Faced with the heavy burden of fear, the men also carry the weight of their reputations.

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1) How is physical burden related to emotional and spiritual burden in the novel? in life?

Physical, emotional and spiritual burden are related because these are things the soldiers carry. The physical pain is obviously prescenced through the wounds and all the weight they carry on their shoulders due to the numerous amount of supplies they need for the field. The emotional burden though, is a spiritual weight that is represented through all the memories, fears, and traumas they carry through their battle. It is stated, “they carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love... “ (O’Brien, 1990, p. 20). This reflects how each soldier has a different past that marks their spirit, and they carry with these different emotions.

2) What does it mean to be a human if thinking through Tim O'Brean's lens of perception based on the first chapter? What does it mean to be a human in your personal opinion?

Through Tim O’Brean’s lens, being a human is experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. It is fearing, loving, fighting, laughing, crying... Each soldier has their own story and past traumas that they have to deal with throughout their journey. challenge and persevering are importan aspects of humanity. Traumas and emotional scars are things humans carry with, each building a unique story. Being a human is dealing with these and leaving a print in this world.

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1. During the novel, the men in vietnam are forced to carry many things through the rough terrain. These take a burden on the body as they are very heavy and hard to carry around. There is also emotional burden which refers to the things that the mind is forced to carry. For example: Lietunant Jimmy Cross carries the memory of Martha through Vietnam. He wonderes all the time if she really loves him and regrets not telling her about his love when he was back in the states. There is also Tim O'brien who almost escaped to Canada to avoid being drafted. This is something he had to carry through Vietnam as he know he had a chance to escape going there.
2. Tim O'brien explains that humans are the things they carry. Everything that you carry being physically or mentally is what you are. The things you carry are unique to you and represent past experiences in life. For me, being a human can mean different things. First of all, humans are able to communicate with other humans and interact with them as this is a key feature in humans. Humans are also able to make calculated decisions based on previeus results or general knowledge. Humans have a certain morality to them and also have a consiousness.

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In the novel, the characters each carry their own heavy but physical loads. The things these men carry depend on their priorities and their constitutions. However, they each have a correlation which represent their emotional burden but there are also universal objects such as a two-pound poncho that also serves as a raincoat or tent.  “First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha… They were not love letters, but Lieutenant Cross was hoping, so he kept them folded in plastic at the bottom of his rucksack.” (O’brien, 1990, p.1)